File systems
NTFS and friends translating raw storage into directories, files, and metadata.
Guided paths in this branch
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Storage path
Volumes, NTFS, cache, and reparse points.
Step 3 of 5 in this path
Official Microsoft docs
Closest official references related to this topic on Microsoft Learn.
Why it matters
File systems are where storage becomes meaningful to users and applications: names, permissions, metadata, journaling, and consistency.
Mental model
A file system is the interpreter for on-disk structures. It turns sectors and clusters into named objects and relationships.
Windows building blocks
Names and paths you can look for in Task Manager, Explorer, or documentation.
- Filentfs.sys
NTFS file system driver
- FilefltMgr.sys
Filter manager for minifilters
Go one level deeper
Extra detail for readers who want more precision before opening a child topic.
- Minifilters (antivirus, EDR) attach via Filter Manager without legacy filter driver stacking limits.
- Reparse points delegate path semantics to filters or the file system.
How it works
- 1The file system driver interprets on-disk metadata structures.
- 2Directories, files, streams, and security metadata are surfaced as I/O objects.
- 3Metadata updates are often journaled or coordinated for integrity.
Key terms
- MFT
- Master File Table; a core NTFS metadata structure.
- Journal
- A mechanism that records metadata intent to improve recovery and consistency.
Deleting a file
Windows may remove namespace references and update metadata long before underlying blocks are reused.
Common misconception
Deleting a file does not necessarily mean the raw data is immediately overwritten.
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